Chaos Erupts at Palakkad Council Meet Over Naming Skill Centre After RSS Founder

Palakkad— A routine council meeting of the Palakkad Municipal Corporation spiralled into chaos on Monday after opposition parties strongly objected to a resolution proposing to name a new skill development centre for the disabled after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder Dr. K.B. Hedgewar. The heated debate quickly escalated into physical clashes, with councillors from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) engaging in a scuffle with members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Eyewitness accounts and viral video footage from inside the council hall showed councillors hurling objects, damaging municipal property, and even beating each other with slippers. The pandemonium prompted police intervention to restore order.

Despite the uproar, the BJP succeeded in passing the contentious resolution, drawing sharp condemnation from the opposition. BJP leader and Palakkad Municipality Vice-Chairman Krishna Das accused Congress and CPI(M) members of intentionally disrupting the session. “The opposition not only tried to manhandle the chairman but also damaged public property. Their behaviour reflects political intolerance,” he said.

Opposition leaders slammed the move as a “politically motivated attempt” to inject RSS ideology into public institutions. “Naming a welfare centre for the disabled after a controversial figure like Hedgewar is both divisive and inappropriate. This was not discussed with consensus,” said a senior LDF councillor.

The skill development centre, aimed at providing vocational training for differently-abled individuals, now finds itself mired in controversy. Civil society groups have expressed dismay over the fracas, calling for political maturity and decorum in local governance.

While no serious injuries were reported, the incident has triggered widespread criticism on social media, with calls for accountability and a review of the naming decision.

The municipal administration has not yet clarified whether the naming will proceed amid mounting pressure. As ideological divisions deepen in Palakkad, the future of the project—and its name—hangs in the balance.